Anyone have any easy recipes with minimal ingredients?

previn84
previn84 Posts: 48
edited September 28 in Recipes
I'm not one to cook a lot, not that I can't, just that I've got a hard job and 4 month old so cooking isn't really on my schedule... its somewhere in between. I'm not big on slow-cooker meals... they all just seem like variants of stew to me. I like things that take maybe 10 minutes and few ingredients to prep, stick in the oven for however long, and voila. I love chicken and tuna dishes, so recipes that contain one of them would be fantastic.

Replies

  • amcmillan730
    amcmillan730 Posts: 591 Member
    interested to see responses too!
  • ang16
    ang16 Posts: 91
    Hi

    well if you can get a nighgt where you can "batch" cook, you can do steak pies, stews,casseroles,stiry fry's or if you have access to your local library how about checking for a "one pot"cook book? In the mornings, hard boiled egg on teast, wraps for lunch, chicken pasta... look at people's diaries as well because you may be inspired and find some ideas? Good luck.

    Hope that helps.
  • nads2184
    nads2184 Posts: 124
    tuna pasta bake, is something my son and I love very much. the only cooking your doing is the pasta an any other veggies you like. put in oven sprinkle some cheese if you like and bake for about 30 mins!.
  • cillytilly
    cillytilly Posts: 243
    I am one to eat a bigger dinner then other meals so this one is good for me.

    One of my go to meals is:
    8 oz low fat cream cheese
    8 oz of salaa (I use medium emerald valley)
    4 chicken breasts

    Preheat oven to 350
    Place cream cheese in bowl microwave for 30 secs stir if super soft add cup of salsa if not heat until able to mix in.
    Place chicken in a 9x13 pan I usually use glass.
    Cover chicken breasts evenly with mixture.
    Cover dish with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes.
  • kimmerroze
    kimmerroze Posts: 1,330 Member
    Zuchinni spinach and sausage white sauce lasagna

    Prep time 15-20 minutes bake time 40 minutes

    Ingredients:
    1 bottle safeway alfredo (70 cals a serving)
    6 whole wheat lasagna noodles
    1 zuchinni chopped
    2 cups chopped spinach
    1/2 cup cottage cheese (mashed so its not so lumpy)
    1-2 tbs milk
    1/2 cup mozerella cheese
    6 oz sausage;cooked (you can use hamburger to cut back on calories but I like the flavor of sausage)
    any italian seasonings you would like

    DIRECTIONS:

    Preheat oven to 425 Degrees.

    If you haven't already, Boil the noodles and fry the sausage/hamburger

    In mixing bowl add milk and cottage cheese, mash until it is more pasty than lumpy add in chopped zuchinni, spinach, cooked sausage, 1/3 jar of alfredo sauce, and any italian seasonings that you would like.

    in a small baking dish (one 3 noodles wide) spoon enough of the alfredo sauce to lightly cover the bottom of the baking dish(I kinda brushed it with a butter brush) spoon about half of the mixture into the pan, Layer with noodles spoon more of the alfredo sauce onto the noodles, and add the rest of the mixture, layer with the final three noodles, and whats left of the sauce and top with mozerell cheese.

    Cover with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes or until bubbly.

    about 350 calories per serving serves 6 I THINK. I cant remember exactly tho.
  • GetFitE
    GetFitE Posts: 247 Member
    I make simple 10 minute meals as well; I'm not one to really cook either. For dinner i usually make chicken and veggies: so if you get the Perdue individually wrapped packages (or even fresh chicken or fish or any meat of choice) and just season and you can cook it in a frying pan or George Forman grill. If the meat needs to be defrosted, just let it soak in its plastic packaging (or zip-lock bag) in a bowl of warm water. When you cook it in a frying pan: spray the pan with Pam, have the pan on high, do about 1-2 minutes on each side, then lower the heat to low, and cover and it'll do a simmer cook (but it only takes about 10 mins total). You can season to your taste: I've done lemon pepper, bbq sauce w/honey, or poultry seasoning. As a side, I eat frozen veggies: so, green giant or Bird's Eye steam packages--takes about 1-5 minutes to microwave.

    Umm, another quick and healthy recipe is ALWAYS a salad. I just made one for lunch. I added shrimp to it today--buy the frozen shrimp and just boil in water for 3-4 minutes. While it's boiling you prepare the salad: my salad had strawberries, about a tablespoon of cheese, cucumber, tomato, and carrots. Very quick to put together.

    And also, if you're looking for more variety, I have Rachel Ray's 10 Minute Meal cook book. She has a lot of good recipes in there. I hope that was helpful in providing some healthy and low calorie/quick meals.
  • pandafoo
    pandafoo Posts: 367 Member
    this is a great site that allows you to find recipes based on ingredients you have at home: http://www.supercook.com/
  • karie69
    karie69 Posts: 4
    This sounds yummy!!! I'm going to try it.
  • inafit16177
    inafit16177 Posts: 84
    bump
  • cillytilly
    cillytilly Posts: 243
    On the salsa chicken depending on the size of the chicken breasts will depend on the caloric intake for them. The ones I buy are abou t8 oz raw and so it comes out about 360 cals.
  • wolf23
    wolf23 Posts: 4,267 Member
    This site is awesome for simple, healthy, low calorie recipes. The garlic shrimp with cilantro lime rice is delish!

    http://www.skinnytaste.com/p/about-me.html
  • ande2994
    ande2994 Posts: 136
    I know you've said you don't like crockpot recipes, but I promise this does NOT taste like stew!

    Ingredients: chicken breasts, Frank's wing sauce. That's it.

    Toss chicken and sauce in the crock pot on low, don't think about it for 8 - 10 hours, shred chicken with a fork, mix in a little bit more sauce, pile on a whole grain bun. Low-calorie, low-fat, almost no prep time and it satisfies the craving for buffalo wings!

    I got the recipe here, but I skip the butter and only add the ranch mix if I remember it: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Slow-Cooker-Buffalo-Chicken-Sandwiches/Detail.aspx.
  • Pam3
    Pam3 Posts: 1,687 Member
    check out the food network's FIVE INGREDIENT FIX...and the cooking channel
  • Pam3
    Pam3 Posts: 1,687 Member
    check out the food networks FIVE INGREDIENT FIX and the cooking channel 30 MINUTE MEALS and RACHEAL RAYS (i dont remmber the shows name, she cooks five meals in one day )...good luck
  • capricorn144
    capricorn144 Posts: 335 Member
    I would also add to the other responses to grill a batch of marinaded (lemon, spices or even a splash of wine and garlic) chicken ...I use boneless thighs or breasts ...and then you have a great start of all the other suggestions.

    I like to throw the chicken in a ziploc with all the spices and lemon or wine and let it sit a day in the fridge soaking up the spices then grill, bake, or roast it.

    Then do a batch on the grill and measure the portions into little baggies so I can just grab it to add to a recipe.

    I like the buffalo wing sauce one mentioned above
    and the salsa and cream cheese or alfredo sauce.
    You can use jar pasta sauce and whole wheat pasta ...very quick. The chicken is cooked and just needs to be heated up.

    also it makes sandwiches or tops a salad.

    you can cut up peppers, onions, zucchini and add the diced chicken you have precooked.

    Chicken sausages (Alfresco brand) in flavors that also go great with sauteed or grilled veggies. One sausage is 130 cals and you can slice it thinly and just sautee with veggies.
    Used the steamed veggies that come in bags if you are not into cutting fresh veggies.

    You can do the same with pre-grilled boneless pork...marinate it...grill a batch and use through out the week.

    its all so easy and fast if you just take a half hour to grill up the meat.
    just measure out your portion size.

    hope that helps.:happy:
  • marysmartypants
    marysmartypants Posts: 7 Member
    Here's my 8 minute solution!

    Fish usually cooks up fast with minimal ingredients/prep. My go-to is tilapia- it's a mild white fish and usually cheap! Sprinkle some seasonings of your choice on each side (I love to use a light coating of Miracle Whip and a sprinkle of parmasean cheese), plop it on a foil-lined pan and simply place under the broiler for 4 minutes on each side. While that is going in the oven, I'll usually toss a bag of steamable frozen veggies in the microwave.

    Sprinkle, plop, toss! You're done!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    You can cook salmon or other fish and just about any non-bean vegetable (asparagus spears, broccoli or cauliflower florets, sugar snap peas, onions, thinly sliced carrots, finely chopped greens) in 10 min. Just saute the veggies in a little olive oil and garlic. It's even faster if you have a George Forman so you can cook both sides of the fish at once. Boneless chicken breasts or a small lean steak only take a few more min.

    Frozen or low sodium canned veggies are just seconds in the microwave. Toss shrimp and finely chopped or frozen veggies and a can of chopped tomator in olive oil and herbs and serve over whole grain pasta, rice or couscous.

    Or roast veggies. It takes longer for them to be done, but only about 5 min to prepare. Just toss with healthy oil and seasonings and dump on a baking sheet.

    Canned beans and instant whole grain rice (or other grain) and some spices takes only about 10 min.

    Heat canned low fat/sodium refried beans in the microwave and serve on a low carb wrap with salsa and low fat cheese for a 5 min bean burrito. Add leftover chicken if you have it, or buy precooked chicken. Mmmmm, fish tacos. Pan saute fish for 7-8 min and serve the same way for a fast fish soft taco.

    I could go on and on.
  • tammykoon
    tammykoon Posts: 298 Member
    Here's my new favorite. Pasta with sausage.
    Boil noodles and sauages per packeage directions. Let sausages cool slightly and then slice thinly. Combine pasta, sausage, cheese, and sour cream. If it's too thick add a little water to thin the sauce.

    Artisan Fresh (Sam's Club) - Mozzarella & Roasted Garlic Chicken Sausage, 3 links
    Cheese: Laughing Cow Light Mozzarella, Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Wedge - Cheese Wedge, 4 wedges
    Great Value (Walmart) - - Light Sour Cream, 8 Tbsp
    Walmart Great Value - Whole Wheat Penne High Fiber, 1 container (5 3/10 cups ea.)

    Total: 2140
    Per Serving: 268 (5.3 oz)
  • ande2994
    ande2994 Posts: 136
    Stirfry is also a great option with a lot of opportunity for variation. Keep some low-sodium teriyaki, chili-garlic and other stirfry sauces in the pantry and frozen mixed veggies in the freezer. It's also a great way to use up leftover produce -- throw in a little bit of bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, carrots... almost any produce you have. You can also choose to add a little bit of almost any meat, or scrambled egg, if you need/want the protein.

    If you don't want to do rice (preferably brown), you can soak ramen noodles in water until they're soft, then mix them into the stirfry. They're cheap and really not bad for you if you throw away that awful salt packet!
  • 1crazymom
    1crazymom Posts: 434 Member
    bump
  • thelandofwin
    thelandofwin Posts: 79
    If you like tuna, you may like fish tacos. I love these because they are extremely simple and super fast. I prefer mahi mahi for the fish that I use but you can use any fish that you like. This takes about 10 minutes total not including the grill preheating time.


    Preheat Grill on Medium High (needs to cook at about 400-425 degrees)
    Squeeze 1 fresh lime per filet (and reserve extra lime for after cooking) and let rest while grill is preheating
    Use an ample amount of kosher or sea salt to cover filets (this makes a nice crust)
    Grill fish (time varies, we do 2-4 minutes per side)
    Heat up black beans in saucepan on medium to medium low heat while fish is grilling
    Let fish rest for 4-5 minutes, cut avocado
    Wrap tortillas in wet papertowel and microwave for 20-30 seconds until soft and warm
    Construct tacos, serve with a slice of lime and 1-2 slices of avocado per taco


    Generic - Fresh Mahi Filet, 4 oz calories = 90
    Guerrero - Corn Tortillas - White, 2 tortillas calories = 140
    Goya - Black Beans - 15.5oz Can, 1/2 cup (122g) calories = 90
    Sour cream (I like a scoop of sourcream on my black beans)- Reduced fat, 1 tbsp calories = 20
    Vegetable - Avocado - California, 0.25 Avocado(173g) calories = 77

    Total Calories = 417 (340 without avocado)

    PS: Snapper, tilapia, cod, or other whitefish are good alternatives.
    PSPS: Other additions in place or with avocado are tomato, shredded red cabbage, roasted corn with diced bell peppers, chipotle cream sauce, chipotle mayo, red onions
  • aswearingen
    aswearingen Posts: 19
    Invest in a Foreman grill (I have a generic one) You can toss on chicken breast, hamburgers, pork chops, anything really. They dont take long. Another fave is to wrap a few small potatoes in foil and put them in the crockpot. 8 hrs on low and 4 hrs on high. Maybe less if you only do a few. Then when you are home from work the only cook time is the meat. Add a salad and done. A good site is www.skinnytaste.com
    Another plus is you can cook an extra breast, chop, ect for lunch the next day in for a wrap or salad.
  • tmarie2715
    tmarie2715 Posts: 1,111 Member
    Try Cooking Light. They have so many free recipes online and they do a special section on "speedy" dinners and "5 ingredient" stuff. They also have a great special collection that is made with things you probably have in your pantry already.

    Good luck!

    http://www.cookinglight.com
  • chicpower1
    chicpower1 Posts: 169 Member
    I don't have a specific recipe to share, however, I am in the same boat as you. I have a 5 year old and a 6 month old and don't have alot of time to cook or prep. I love crock pot meals, however, my husband is not a huge fan of them and once again, many recipes still require a good deal of prep time. More than I have. So, instead I purchased the Cooks Essential's 6 qt digital pressure cooker from QVC. This is the BEST BUY I have ever made in my life and the whole family is happy. I don't make stews or crockpot type meals in it--although I could if I wanted. I'm HORRIBLE about remembering to thaw things in time. With my pressure cooker it's no issue. I can take rock-hard frozen chicken straight from the deep freeze, throw it into the pressure cooker with some cream of mushroom soup, or BBQ sauce, or whatever I have on hand to add flavor, lock the lid closed and simply push the "frozen meat" button. 20 minutes later I have a wonderfully flavored chicken breast that's so tender it can be pulled apart with a fork. I spend my time throwing together side dishes (usually from a box or a mix) while that's cooking. The nutrients are locked in through this process, the pressure cooker plugs in and is independent (meaning it doesn't have to be on my stove top) and it's virtually dummy-proof and has multiple safety features to prevent a blowout. Easy and quick to clean too. Whoever came up with all these features was BRILLIANT and had me in mind. Take a moment to pop over to QVC and check it out. Definetly worth the small investment for quick, nutritious meals without being forced to do everything crockpot style. Hope this helps!

    http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view.2/app.detail/params.item.K26345.desc.Cooks-Essentials-6qt-Digital-Pressure-Cooker-wHinged-Lid
  • ajbeans
    ajbeans Posts: 2,857 Member
    You can make anything in a crock pot. I make roast all the time in my crock pot. You can make meatloaf and breakfast casseroles in a crock pot. Desserts, breads, pasta casseroles, lasagna, pork chops, BBQ ribs, whatever. I almost never make anything resembling a stew in my crock pot. Don't write off the crock pot just because most people make soups and such in it. It's a very versatile kitchen tool. :)

    Here's what I do for ribs:

    Brown some country-style ribs quickly on the stove. Move them to the crock pot. Dump in some barbecue sauce, and make sure the sauce gets between all the meat pieces so the meat is all coated. If you like, you can mix the sauce with some beef broth, and add some spices if you want -- I usually just add some garlic and black pepper. Cook on high for 3 to 4 hours, or on low for 6 to 8 hours. Nomtastic.
  • eating4balance
    eating4balance Posts: 743 Member
    I posted two basic chicken and tuna recipes on my blog: http://peanut-butter-lover.blogspot.com/

    They are really easy, low in calories and have very few ingredients.
This discussion has been closed.

Categories